


Be My Omega?

by silkplants



Series: Alpha Across the Ocean [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hetalia, M/M, UKUS, USUK - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-03 01:43:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17274728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silkplants/pseuds/silkplants
Summary: This is a sequel to Alpha Across the Ocean, so if you haven’t read it I’d consider checking that one out first. Arthur returns to Maine to be with Alfred, but not everything is quite as perfect as he’d pictured it. Angst with a happy ending.





	Be My Omega?

Arthur’s parents were…less than pleased with Arthur’s new mate. They’d sent their son off with the intent that a year away from home would straighten him out and settle him down, but instead, he’d stepped off the plane with a new mark on his neck and a change in his scent. However, Arthur’s eighteenth birthday had passed back in April so they couldn’t force him to annul it and Arthur didn’t want to. It was a common argument in the Kirkland household, but Arthur never wavered.

And since Arthur adamantly refused to annul and wholeheartedly agreed to go along with tradition, they couldn’t stop him from packing his bags once Alfred had proven that he had a steady job and a place of his own. It’d taken two years, but the moment Arthur had gotten the letter in the mail, he was packing his bags and booking his flight to Maine. With a stern but caring farewell to his parents, Arthur was off, his scent sweet and hopeful.

Landing in Maine, Arthur thought back to the last time he’d visited. Before, Matthew and his parents had come to greet him with a large sign, but there was no such fanfare this time. This time, there was an Alpha, with flowers and a hopeful smile as he scanned the crowd.

“Alfred..!” He called out, causing his mate to snap to attention. The smile grew wider, and Alfred opened his arms for Arthur to jog up and give him a hug.

“Ah, hey, Art..” He mumbled, kissing Arthur’s temple. “I missed ya a whole lot, you know that? It’s so good to see ya..” He grinned, pressing his nose to his hair. “You smell nice- just like last time, only sweeter.” He chuckled, and Arthur nodded, breathing in as well.

Cinnamon, hot chocolate and pine were all still there, but Arthur could detect something unpleasant and stale in Alfred’s scent. Alfred smelled like alcohol. Arthur stepped back, brows furrowing as he looked Alfred over. His clothes were stained in a few spots, and he hadn’t shaved in a while. He had spots of stubble on his face, and while Arthur didn’t mind facial hair, this was hair grown from negligence rather than effort. His eyes were baggy, and he seemed fatigued. Was he hungover?

“Are you alright, Alfred..?” Arthur questioned, to which Alfred quickly nodded.

“Yeah, Honey, I’m fine, m’kay? Just a little tired, I was up most the night, I was excited for you to get here.” He smiled at him, and his expression was enough to make Arthur set aside his worries, at least for a while. He followed Alfred out to an old beat up truck. It was dented and rusted, and Alfred had to brush fast food garbage out of the passenger seat and onto the floor before Arthur could sit down with his bag.

“So…” Arthur began, his stomach flopping. “Where do you work? You were kind of vague in your letter.”

“Oh, ah,” Alfred chuckled. “I, geez, I’m sorta in between jobs at the moment. But don’t worry! I’m working, I uh, I do some work here and there..people hire me for handyman stuff, y’know?”

Arthur paused. Alfred’s papers had been vague, but it had mentioned marketing. It seemed like that wasn’t entirely truthful. In all honesty, Alfred didn’t look or act anything like Arthur had expected. Alfred had been so vibrant and excited about absolutely everything back when they’d met, but now it was like he hardly knew him. But…he was still Alfred. His eyes were still blue and his smile and his laugh were still the same. Alfred’s scent did assure Arthur that he loved him, he just..wasn’t quite what Arthur had envisioned.

The truck sputtered to a stop in front of a small but cozy looking home not far from where Alfred’s parents lived. It was perhaps a ten-minute drive from their house, but it wasn’t too bad at all. Sure, it was a little run down, but nothing a good pressure washing and some landscaping couldn’t fix.

“Oh, wow,” Arthur perked up, smiling a little. “This is nice, Alfred! You didn’t tell me you’d rented a house!” He flashed Alfred a grin, and Alfred returned the look with a nervous chuckle and a shrug.

“Uh, yeah, about that..” He rubbed his neck, and Arthur’s heart sank. Suddenly, the front door opened and not one, but four people came out, approaching the truck with waves and smiles.

“I hope you don’t mind roommates, Art…Don’t worry! We’ve got a room to ourselves- and that’s pretty lucky, Liza and Gil both crash in the living room..” He grabbed Arthur’s bag for him, climbing out of the truck and going around the side to help Arthur out. Arthur let himself out before Alfred could make it around the corner.

He felt..weird. He was sure his discomfort could be detected in his scent, because Alfred’s roommates hung back, not wanting to invade his space. Arthur felt weird about being here. Why had Alfred asked him to come? He obviously wasn’t independent or self-sufficient in the least. He lived in a house of five, for God’s sake! Well, six now, Arthur supposed. He had to count himself. It wasn’t as if there was anyplace else for him to go. And, well, Alfred was his mate, he wanted it to work…

With a shy smile, he stuck his hand out, greeting Alfred’s roommates one by one. Gilbert and Eliza were first, they were both Alphas, but they seemed nice enough. Natalia and her brother Ivan were both Betas, making Arthur the only Omega of the house. Well- he was more or less used to that. Still, though…He’d been expecting an apartment. Just him and Alfred. It didn’t have to be big or expensive, it was just that..living with five people, four of them being complete strangers..well, it didn’t sound much like a home. Still, though, he tried to be hopeful, following Alfred inside and to “their” room.

It was a wreck. Empty cans and takeout containers littered the floor, and the bedding was just some sheets. The pillows didn’t have pillowcases and clothes were everywhere. The only clean thing was the wall-mounted tv. He sighed. Alfred lived like this?

“Hey, honey..” Alfred sighed. “I know it’s..not much, and I’m sorry I didn’t get around to picking up for ya.” He rubbed his arm, sitting on the bed. “We uh, sorta had a bachelor party last night? Since you were coming, and all…and I got a little carried away so I’ve been nursin’ a headache like all day..” He sat on the bed, opening up his arms. “C’mere?”

Arthur looked at him, biting his lip. Alfred looked honest and really sorry…perhaps things would be better tomorrow. Arthur stepped forward, and sat with him, allowing Alfred to wrap him in a hug and lie back. They could clean up tomorrow. They’d make the room nice. They’d make it work.

But, in the morning, Alfred didn’t want to clean. He wanted to play video games and drink with his roommates and order pizza. He wasn’t interested in going to the store to buy cleaning supplies (since Alfred’s house didn’t seem to have any) and he wasn’t interested in picking out new sheets and a proper blanket and pillowcases. So Arthur went by himself. He bought dusting spray and air freshener and glass cleaner- he bought bleach and soap and a new mop and bucket. For God’s sake, he had to buy a broom and a dustpan. He picked out some white sheets and pillowcases with a pretty pastel blue blanket. He wasn’t going to live in filth just because Alfred didn’t seem to mind it. He’d clean up, and then Alfred would get the hint and join him.

Perhaps he gave Alfred a little too much credit. Alfred did nothing while Arthur cleaned out all the dust and scrubbed the floors and the walls. He didn’t do anything while Arthur wiped off the ceiling fan and wiped down the windows, or clean the furniture or throw out the garbage or wash the clothes. He didn’t help Arthur put the new sheets on the bed only after thoroughly scrubbing the mattress and letting it dry. Arthur’s finishing touches were to put the pillows (WITH pillowcases) on the bed after he’d washed them, and to hang up his own clothes in the section of the closet he’d cleaned out for himself. All in all, it was a nice room..and probably the only clean place in the house. Arthur wrinkled his nose. Well, he wasn’t going to do all the work himself. He’d make Alfred help, and he’d try to get the roommates to join in. Six people could clean a house must faster than one, after all.

For now, though, he needed a nap. He got into his freshly cleaned bed, curling up to where he was facing the wall. He wasn’t quite asleep when he heard the door open and shut. Alfred whistled.

“Woah, Honey, you did a great job…haha, I should have asked you to come ages ago! I’ve never been good at cleaning.” He slipped into bed beside him, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close. “What would I do without you..” He nosed his hair.

“Drown in your own garbage, apparently.” Arthur thought to himself, but he didn’t voice that particular opinion. Instead, he shrugged. “I cleaned it up, but promise you’ll help me keep up with it, okay?”

Alfred laughed. “Been here a day and already givin’ me orders. Okay, Baby, I promise..” He kissed his cheek.

Arthur squashed down his own annoyance. Orders? What, asking someone to pick up after themselves was bossy now? He took a deep breath. He loved Alfred, right? He wanted this to work. The situation was…less than ideal, but Alfred would come around.

At least, that’s what he hoped.

After a month, Arthur began to notice a pattern. Alfred never really…did anything. He woke up and played video games, plucked around on a guitar he didn’t know how to play, and then hung around in the living room with his roommates and would do some early afternoon drinking. Alfred wasn’t a…bad person, not really, but he didn’t really seem to be trying to do, well, anything. Arthur learned a little later on that the truck Alfred had picked him up in wasn’t even his- it was Gilbert’s. Gilbert and Natalia were the only ones will full-time jobs, in fact. Everyone else either worked part-time or were unemployed, Alfred included in the latter category. Arthur didn’t ask about rent and bills, but he was pretty sure Alfred’s parents were keeping him afloat.

Arthur, meanwhile, had started working almost as soon as he’d moved in. He’d gotten hired as a front desk clerk, and he worked in the clinic for the town’s pediatrician. Arthur wasn’t fond of the stale medical scent of his environment, but he did like feeling like he was helpful, and he liked kids. His boss was nice, too. It wasn’t like he minded working- not at all, in fact, he would have been insulted if Alfred had wanted to keep him from work. It was just that, well, Alfred wasn’t even trying. He would wave goodbye to Arthur, and when Arthur came home after an eight-hour shift, Alfred would be in the exact same spot as before. It was frustrating. Why was Alfred okay with spending his life in a haze? Most of the time he was either tipsy or full-on drunk, and Arthur wondered if Alfred truly knew what was going on in his life. He was sweet and affectionate and he was still the nice person Arthur remembered from his teenage years, he just…didn’t have any of that spark or ambition anymore.

He came home from a twelve hour shift one evening, only to find that everyone else had gone out for the night. Everyone except Alfred, anyway.

“Hey..” Alfred greeted, smiling and getting up to greet him. “Long day, huh?”

Arthur nodded, hanging his coat up by the door. “Very long. I’m exhausted, Alfred, honestly..”

Alfred snaked his arms around his waist, kissing his cheek. “That’s too bad..it’s not often that we get the house to ourselves and I was hoping, well..” He raised his eyebrows, grinning.

Arthur blinked at him. It took a moment to realize what Alfred was implying, but when he got the hint he shook his head. “Not tonight, Dear..not tonight.”

“That’s okay.” Alfred smiled at him. “We can just hang out instead. Hey, how about a movie..?” He began to lead Arthur towards their room, but, Arthur wouldn’t budge.

“Why did you ask me to come here, Alfred?”

Alfred stopped. “What, uh- what do you mean? We’re mates, right? We’re supposed to be together!” He chuckled and smiled, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes.

“You lied to me, Alfred.” Arthur frowned. “You said in your letter that you had a job and a home, and neither of those things are true.”

“Yes, they are! I, I told you, I’m in between jobs. But I’m still working! Just last week I fixed the faucet in Ms. Beilschmidt’s bathroom, and we do have a house! You’re standing in it right now!”

Arthur’s scent grew dark and irritated. The roses in his scent withered. “How long, exactly, have you been ‘in between’ jobs? Six months? A year? Gilbert asking his mom to give you something to do is not employment, it’s a favor. And we don’t have a home. We’re living in a discount frat house- why did you think I would be happy here? I uprooted my whole life and for what? So I could come here and clean up after you while you waste your whole life sitting in a haze? What are you doing to do with your life, Alfred?”

Alfred looked at him, and sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t…I dunno, Art. I thought, y’know, that I would be this great athlete, but, it didn’t work out. And, and everyone knows I’ve got a mate, they can smell it, and I was really sick of everyone thinking that my mate left me or didn’t want anything to do with me- I thought this setup was good enough, I’m,” His scent darkened. “I’m sorry you’re not living in a palace, okay?! I’m sorry I’m not a millionaire since you apparently expected one!”

Arthur scowled. “I wasn’t expecting to live like royalty, Alfred! I was just expecting an Alpha who acted like an adult! How dare you snap at me after you lied in the letter that brought me here!” He crossed his arms. “And even your reasons for bringing me here are selfish. You didn’t ask me to come because you loved me and wanted to be together- I’m here to save your own ego, I’m here so that people know your mate is stupid enough to stay with you.”

Alfred’s expression fell. “Ah, shit- that’s not what I meant, Artie, come on- I do love ya, I promise..don’t be upset..”

Arthur shook his head. “Alfred. I love you. I do. I’ve loved you since we were teenagers- but this isn’t fair. You’re wasting your life and mine. You’re..not a bad person, you’re just..you’re not even trying.”

Alfred puffed his chest. “I, I am trying! I’ll get a job, and an apartment and everything!”

“When was the last time you looked for work?”

“I-”

“How many applications have you filled out?”

“None, but,”

Arthur shook his head. “Save it.” He walked past Alfred and took out his bag. He emptied his half of the closet and packed anything he’d brought along, which wasn’t a lot.

“Hey!” Alfred called out. “Where are you going? Art, come on, stay-!” He reached for his hand, but Arthur pulled it away.

“Either you pull yourself together or we’re through. I’ve let you waste over a month of my life, I don’t intend to let you waste any more. I’m not going to work myself sick and clean up after you for the rest of my life. I love you, but you aren’t good for me. Goodbye, Alfred.”

And with that, Arthur left. He didn’t go back to England- no, he didn’t want to face his parents, especially knowing what they would say…so instead he stayed in Maine, staying with Matthew briefly until he was able to get a small apartment on his own. He worked hard and started taking classes again. Arthur decided that he wanted to be an editor and maybe write his own novel someday. He even adopted a cat, a cute little kitten that he’d named Merlin.

In all honesty, Arthur didn’t expect to see Alfred again. It’d been four months since he’d walked out, and although Alfred had tried very hard to get him to come back for the first few weeks, he’d eventually stopped calling and only texted him some well wishes before ceasing contact altogether. Arthur hadn’t gotten his mateship annulled and neither had Alfred since he hadn’t been given any paperwork to indicate it. Part of him didn’t want to- like annulling would be the last nail in the coffin. He did..still care about Alfred, and right now there wasn’t a big hurry. If Alfred sent him the papers, so be it. He would get it annulled. If not, Arthur would do it when he was ready to move on.

So it came as a great surprise when, one evening after work, Arthur got a knock on his door. He’d been cooking himself something to eat, so he turned the burner off and set it aside. He undid his apron and draped it over a chair, smoothing out his shirt as he went to open the door.

Alfred stood on the other side, dressed in a button up and jeans that were actually clean. His face had been shaved, and he didn’t smell like alcohol- fresh or stale. He was sober and alert, and he’d brought flowers.

“Hey, Art..” He smiled, faintly. “Sorry to drop by on ya so suddenly, I just..I thought this would be better done in person.” He held out the flowers, and Arthur took them.

“You were right, you know.” Alfred began. “And first off, I’m really sorry for the way I treated you. It wasn’t fair to bring you here and give you that kind of life- Especially because I knew you wouldn’t like it. And you were right- I really wasn’t going anywhere.” He sighed. “I gave up on everything, but! I’ve got a job now! And an apartment! I’m gonna work towards being a colorist for graphic novels, but in the meantime, I’ve got a real job and everything!” He laughed, nervously.

Arthur rose a brow. “Alfred, I..” He started, but then just shrugged. “I don’t know..”

Alfred looked down, then, and shuffled his feet. “I’m not gonna lie to you anymore, either- I sometimes have a few drinks at a bar when I go out, I just, I hope you don’t hate me for that. And I promise I only go out every once in a while, not every day or anything like that!”

“I don’t, Al, I don’t mind that- I just didn’t want you to spend your whole life like that. I just..wanted you to have a little self-control and moderate it.”

“Well, well I am, and, also my apartment is really well kept up! You’d like it, it’s not very big but there’s a lot of windows and the furniture is nice- it’s clean, and open-”

“I really hope you’re not suggesting I move back in.”

“No, no! God, no- at least not now..”

“Then…why are you here, Alfred?” Arthur opened the door a little more, trying to show that he was more receptive to what Alfred had to say.

“I, I wanna try again. I know we did this all out of order and I fucked it up pretty bad for a while- but I didn’t get it annulled because I love you, still, and I’m hoping that since you didn’t get your mateship annulled either that you are at least willing to give it one more shot?” He rubbed his neck. He smelled nervous, and…scared. He really thought Arthur was going to reject him.

“Please, Art.” He sighed. “I wanna court you properly. We’ll go slow, and figure it out better, but I don’t wanna give up. So, uh…be my Omega? One more time?”

Arthur paused, for a long moment. Alfred was earnest- and Arthur believed that what Alfred was saying was the truth.

With a small smile and a nod, Arthur spoke softly. “Alright.”

Alfred’s smile was as affectionate and warm as it always was.


End file.
